SEOUL (BERNAMA-YONHAP) – Unseasonal heavy snow pounded Seoul and the central regions early yesterday morning, disrupting rush-hour traffic across the capital area, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Amid an unexpected heavy snow advisory issued the previous day, Seoul had received 11.9 centimetres (cm) of snow as of 8:20am, compared with 13.8cm in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, and 19.9cm in Goseong, Gangwon Province, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. It is believed to be the latest heavy snow advisory ever issued in Seoul.
Traffic congestion occurred in various parts of Seoul as cars slowed down on slippery roads.
The average traffic speed in central Seoul fell to 17.9 kilometres per hour as of 7am, according to the Seoul city government.
The snowfall also caused numerous accidents and vehicle-to-vehicle collisions throughout the capital, as cars skidded on snowy roads. In Ansan, south of Seoul, an Uzbek man in his 20s died in a single-car accident early yesterday morning, when his car crashed into a median barrier on an apparently slippery road.
Flights were also disrupted, with four flights scheduled to depart from Gimpo, Jeju Island, Yeosu, and Wonju cancelled due to strong gales and aircraft de-icing, according to Korea Airports Corp. Five other flights were delayed as of 8am.
At Incheon International Airport, South Korea’s main gateway, five flights were delayed, but none were cancelled as of 8am, according to its operator.
To ease the morning rush hour, Korea Railroad Corp said it had added 14 train services to subway lines in the capital area.
